NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 4 November 2004
SpaceRef note: This NASA Headquarters internal status report, as presented here, contains additional, original material produced by SpaceRef.com (copyright © 2004) to enhance access to related status reports and NASA activities.
All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below
CDR/SO Chiao and FE Sharipov started the day off with the mandatory CHeCS (crew health care systems) emergency medical ops OBT (on-board training) drill, a one-hour U.S. exercise designed to refresh crewmembers’ acuity in applying ACLS (advanced cardio life support) in an emergency. [Setting up (but not actually operating/manipulating) onboard equipment such as the RSP (respiratory support pack), ALSP (advanced life support pack), intubation kit, HMS defibrillator, all stowed in the Lab CHeCS (crew health care systems) rack, and the already deployed CMRS (crew medical restraint system), the station residents stepped through the ACLS manual to resolve a simulated medical emergency onboard ISS. Objectives of the exercise include practicing communication and coordination necessary to perform medical emergency procedures, locating appropriate emergency medical components, and determining each crewmember’s individual method of delivering CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation) in zero-G. After the drill, Leroy stowed the equipment but left the CMRS deployed (for the duration of this increment). ]
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The crew set up the ADUM (Advanced Diagnostic Ultrasound in Micro-G) equipment, including video and electronic still cameras, and performed a Scan Z investigation on Sharipov as subject. [With Salizhan strapped down on the CMRS and wearing electrodes for ECG (electrocardiogram) recording, Leroy Chiao performed the ultrasound bone scans (Scan Z). Afterwards the hardware was deactivated and the scan heads were cleaned and stowed. Scan A activities are scheduled tomorrow. For the session, the ground activated the ER2 HRF (EXPRESS Rack 2/Human Research Facility) and the video tape recorder, while Leroy powered up the HRF computer and cleaned off the ADUM hard drive. The data were recorded, and the scanning and post-scan activities were videotaped and still-photographed for downlink.]
After TsUP/Moscow had switched off the ESA/Russian GTS (Global Timing System), Sharipov used the German FHS-3 spectrum analyzer to take measurements for troubleshooting the system’s cable continuity. The data will be downloaded to the TP2 laptop tomorrow and prepared for downlink to the ground via OCA email. Later in the day (2:00pm), TsUP turned the 400 MHz (megahertz) transmitter (PRD) back on. [The electronics systems of the GTS are installed in the Service Module (SM), with two transmitters intended to broadcast a time signal at 400.1 MHz (1 watt) and 1428 MHz (0.5 watt) straight downward (nadir) for worldwide clock synchronization. The system has experienced problems off and on.]
As part of regular periodic preventive maintenance of Russian segment (RS) ventilation systems, Salizhan performed inspection and cleaning of Group A ventilator fans and grilles in the SM.
The CDR relocated and set up the TEPC (tissue equivalent proportional counter) radiation-measuring instrument at a new station in the Lab near the IVCPDS (intravehicular charged particle directional spectrometer), where it can be checked out against the CPDS data.
The FE conducted an audit of all Russian and U.S. equipment plugged in SM, FGB and DC-1 power outlets, filling in an uplinked tally sheet.
Chiao completed the regular weekly filling out of the FFQ (food frequency questionnaire), his second, which keeps a log of his nutritional intake over time on special MEC (medical equipment computer) software. [The questionnaire provides for recording consumed amounts during the past week of such food items as beverages, cereals, grains, eggs, breads, snacks, sweets, fruit, beans, soup, vegetables, dairy, fish, meat, chicken, sauces & spreads, and vitamins.]
The crew performed their regular daily 2.5-hr. physical exercise program on TVIS treadmill, CEVIS ergometer bike, RED exerciser and VELO cycle with bungee cord load trainer.
Afterwards, the CDR again downloaded TVIS and RED exercise data files to the MEC, currently doing it six times a week to support early review on the ground.
In addition, Leroy attended to the periodic transfer of accumulated data files from the CMS HRM (crew medical systems/heart rate monitor) to the MEC, then erased them on the HRM.
Leroy also completed the daily routine maintenance of the SOZh environmental control & life support systems in the SM and prepared the daily “delta” file for updating the IMS (inventory management system) databases.
Sharipov conducted the periodic inspection of the BIO-5 Rasteniya-2 (“Plants-2”) experiment that researches growth and development of plants under spaceflight conditions in the Lada-5 greenhouse.
As is customary for the first two weeks of a new increment, both crewmembers again had one “free” hour set aside on today’s schedule for ISS familiarization, i.e., to adjust to their new surroundings and activities.
At ~3:10pm EST, the crew is scheduled for their regular (once every two weeks) teleconference with the JSC Astronaut Office (Kent Rominger), via S-band S/G.
Yesterday’s software upgrade of the #2 SIGI (space integrated GPS/inertial navigation system) with R2 firmware (GPS2) was aborted due to a problem with transferring the firmware from the 760XD laptop that had been loaded with it the day before. The SIGI-2 upload will be attempted again on 11/11. Until then, with SIGI-1 and Russian sources remaining available, current impact is a temporary loss of redundancy for state and attitude determination. SIGI-1 firmware load is scheduled for 11/16 [Cause of the abort was a misconfiguration of the 760XD’s comm ports due to different BIOS versions of the onboard SSCs (station support computers) and the ground SSC used to develop the procedure. The latter’s BIOS is now being updated.]
TsUP/Moscow reported that deactivation of a fire warning sensor (smoke detector #2) in the DC1 docking module for servicing was misinterpreted by the monitoring algorithm as a sensor failure. This is not critical, and a planned upgrade will correct this software glitch.
Yesterday morning, an RPCM (remote power controller module) in the Lab (LA1B-G) popped a “health” flag for one of its blocks. The bit flip was identified as part of the cyclic redundancy check code on the SRAM (static random access memory). The event, which was the first occurrence for this RPCM, is under investigation by specialists. [RPCM bit flips used to occur often in the past, requiring frequent refreshing of their EEPROM (electronically erasable programmable memory) chips, until the new procedure of “prefreshing” (preventive refreshing) was introduced some time ago. LA1B-G had been prefreshed successfully ~14 days ago.]
Next week the SSRMS (Space Station Remote Manipulator System) will be used for an outside inspection of what appears to be a “dent” in the Lab module’s exterior surface, specifically in the MM/OD (micrometeoroid/orbital debris) shielding surrounding the pressure shell. [The shielding, made of an aluminum alloy, is designed to absorb the initial impact of MM/OD, slowing it down while breaking it into small fragments before it hits the pressure shell. The shielding is 0.13 cm (0.05 in.) thick and is separated from the pressure shell by a 10.2-cm (4-in.) gap.]
MCC-Houston is preparing to conduct a “long sim” (simulation) of Mission LF-1 next week on 11/16 & 11/17. [Mission LF-1 (STS-114) is currently scheduled to launch no earlier than during the May 2005 launch window aboard Shuttle Discovery, carrying a seven-person crew for a mission duration of 12 days (+2 for orbiter & weather contingencies), with 7 docked days for ISS assembly, activation, and checkout activities. Primary cargo will be an MPLM (multipurpose logistics module), an LMC (lightweight multipurpose experiment structure {MPESS} carrier) with a new CMG (control moment gyroscope), the ESP-2 (external stowage platform 2) and two APCUs (assembly power converter units).]
Upcoming Key Events: Current station attitude of sun-pointing XPOP (x-axis perpendicular to orbit plane) will be maintained until 11/16. Station reboost will then follow on 11/17 (backup opportunity 11/18). The Soyuz relocation is scheduled for 11/29 (no earlier than), preceded by a hot-fire test of its thrusters.]
Today’s CEO photo targets, limited in the current XPOP attitude by flight rule constraints on the use of the science window (not applicable to other windows), which is available for only ~1/4 of each orbit when not facing forward (in ram), were Perth, Australia (this overpass provided a chance for oblique photography of this urban center. Images of the urban/rural boundary are of particular interest for mapping of land cover and land use conversion patterns), Lower Amazon River Basin, S. America (general mapping of the small islands and channels comprising the Amazon estuarine system are useful indicators of change in river dynamics. Looking to the right of track for the Amazon River mouth), and Patagonian Glaciers, S. America (this overpass presented an opportunity for familiarization with this glaciated region. Frequent imaging of the ice fields and individual glaciers allows for monitoring of changes in ice extent. This is useful as an indicator of climate change in the region. Looking to the left of track along the South American coastline for the glaciated mountains.)
CEO images can be viewed at these websites:
See also the website “Space Station Challenge” at:
To view the latest photos taken by the expedition 10 crew visit:
- http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-9/ndxpage1.html at NASA’s Human Spaceflight website.
Expedition 10 Flight Crew Plans can be found at http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/timelines/
Previous NASA ISS On-orbit Status Reports can be found here. Previous NASA Space Station Status Reports can be found here. Previous NASA Space Shuttle Processing Status Reports can be found here. A collection of all of these reports and other materials relating to Return to Flight for the Space Shuttle fleet can be found here.
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ISS Orbit (as of this morning, 6:37am EST [= epoch]):
- Mean altitude — 358.1 km
- Apogee height — 364.0 km
- Perigee height — 352.3 km
- Period — 91.70 min.
- Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
- Eccentricity — 0.0008684
- Solar Beta Angle — 32.8 deg (magnitude increasing)
- Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.70
- Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 135 m
- Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 34036
ISS Altitude History
Apogee height — Mean Altitude — Perigee height
For more on ISS orbit and worldwide ISS naked-eye visibility dates/times, see http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html. In addition, information on International Space Station sighting opportunities can be found at http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/ on NASA’s Human Spaceflight website. The current location of the International Space Station can be found at http://science.nasa.gov/temp/StationLoc.html at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Additional satellite tracking resources can be found at http://www.spaceref.com/iss/tracking.html.
